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Herman Cain accused by two women of inappropriate behavior

Herman Cain was the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. | AP Photo

But one source closely familiar with Cain’s tenure in Washington confirmed that the claims related to allegations of sexual harassment — behavior that disturbed members of the board who became aware of it, as well as the source, who otherwise liked Cain.

“I happen to know there were sealed settlements reached in the plural. I think that anybody who thinks this was a one-time, one-person transgression would be mistaken,” this source said.

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The first woman was identified to POLITICO by a former association board member, and her identity was confirmed by two additional sources.

The former board member recalled learning of the woman’s departure at a 1999 association board meeting and trade expo in Chicago.

“She was offered a financial package to leave the association, and she did,” said the former board member. “What I took offense at was that it was clear that rather than deal with the issue, there was an effort to hush it up. She was offered a way out to keep quiet.”

A second source with close ties to the restaurant association from that period said the woman revealed at the time that she had suffered what the source described as “an unwanted sexual advance” from Cain at a hotel where an event involving the group was taking place.

A third source said the woman has indicated to her current employer that she received a compensation package from the association and has warned the employer that she might be the subject of an embarrassing story involving a presidential candidate.

The second woman’s identity was confirmed by a source familiar with the association.

On Oct. 20, POLITICO first approached Gordon, who serves as the campaign’s vice president for communications, about whether Cain had been the subject of complaints of sexual harassment.

After not responding to the question for several days, Gordon emailed POLITICO on Oct. 24 that any dispute about Cain’s conduct at the restaurant association “was settled amicably among all parties many years ago.”

“These are old and tired allegations that never stood up to the facts,” Gordon wrote in an email response. “This was settled amicably among all parties many years ago, and dredging this up now is merely part of a smear campaign meant to discredit a true patriot who is shaking up the political status quo.”

Gordon added: “Since critics haven’t had much luck in attacking Mr. Cain’s ideas, they are trying to attack him personally.”

On Wednesday, the response shifted. Gordon telephoned to assert he was not using “settled” in a legal context but rather simply meant the matter was “resolved.”

In that interview, Gordon told POLITICO he had spoken to Cain about the allegations and said Cain was “vaguely familiar” with the situation.

“He was vaguely familiar with it and wanted me to get with the [National Restaurant Association] lawyer who worked the case, Peter Kilgore. He said, ‘Just get with Peter Kilgore at the NRA.’ He remembered there was something vaguely, some allegation, but he wasn’t familiar with it. Our lawyer called Peter Kilgore. Their policy is they don’t discuss personnel. That’s what our lawyer then told me.”

I see Politico is still on it's mission to re elect Barack Obama. Guess they have nothing nothing better than headlining anti Cain stories while sweeping like manics to keep fast and furious under the radar.

oh wow, Clarence Thomas all over again. How about two guys accusing Obummer of inaproppriate behavior?????Where were you libs on that story?? Larry Sinclair's book??? If you play this game let's play Obummer's too... Ok. You miserable lib writers, we don't even know yet where Obummer was born, or how he did in school and where he got his SSI number???? How about a little research there???

Please....this story doesn't come close in significance when it's compared to a sitting president copping BJs in the Oval Office. More drivel from the liberal pond scum attack and smear lame stream media.

If this crap is starting to come out, maybe the MSM is beginning to see Cain as a serious threat to their beloved messiah. And maybe some of the black critics of Cain will come to the defense of a brother, like they came to the defense of Jesse, Marion Berry, Al sharpton, Charly Rangel, etc.

Naw, those guys were all leftists. Blacks like Cain are beyond the pale. Black people and latinos are not ALLOWED to be conservative. Says so, right there in the new democratic bible, "rules for radicals" . And if that ain't enough, ask Tavis Smiley. He will set you straight, in his painfully articulated English, designed to stop his natural "negro dialect" from slipping into his speech.

Mark the time. Cain is finished. If it is true that they paid two women settlements to leave the company after they made these allegations the American people won't believe it. And if you think Clinton got away with the Lewinsky thing, he didn't have to run again and was impeached! The only good news for him is that O'Reilly will take his side and tell him how to handle it.